How did the University get 9,500 FD Students with up to 85% progression?

1. How did the University get 9,500 FD Students with up to 85% progression? Mark Stone HELP CETL Director Martin Rowe FD Computing Programme Manager at North Devon College & HELP CETL Award Holder & WBL / EE CoP Leader University of Plymouth 5th VC’s Teaching and Learning Conference 28th June 2007

2. About University of Plymouth Colleges • UPC is a partnership between the University of Plymouth and 20 South West institutions delivering HE to students in their local area • From a modest start in 1989 with just 450 students, the UPC faculty now has more than 9,500 students • UPC provides opportunities to study on the doorstep • FD students have the opportunity to progress an honours degree at the University

3. About Foundation Degrees • Designed in partnership with employers • Integrate academic and work-based learning • Equip learners with the knowledge, understanding and skills relevant to employment • Full-time course usually takes two years • Students don’t necessarily need traditional academic qualifications to gain entry to a course (www.fdf.ac.uk).

4. The HELP CETL works to: • Establish recognition and reward approaches for HE in FE staff to further their personal and professional development • Establish coherent and functioning Communities of Practice across multiple institutions that involve interaction with the wider HE in FE community • Research & development of UPC strategic priorities • Provide capital infrastructure/facilities to support HE in FE delivery, including, video conferencing and Knowledge Management tools

5. A few words about the title • It is the University that has enabled 9,500 students to access university level study in a format and location that is appropriate to their needs • When something is large, is a hard to see it all • When something is complex it is hard to see the constituent parts and where you fit in • Something about numbers later!

7. A prophet in one’s own country • The operational challenges and tensions that present themselves inevitably draw our focus • Yes, we need to deal with the complexity involved in delivering an obviously attractive offer, however we should not forget… ‘…what makes UPC stand out nationally is that it successfully combines wide social participation with impressive levels of retention and transition…’ Prof. Sally Brown

8. Lies, damned lies & statistics • ‘Over 90% of FD students continuing in further study are topping-up to an honours degree’ • ‘85% of these top-up at the University of Plymouth’ Helen Hicks & Marc Lintern UoP Careers Service

9. Data to work with and further study • 1st of 3 reports • Questions: • Intention • Locality • Top up

10. Developing the HE experience • Systems & processes • University link at programme level • Academic community • Research & Scholarly Activity • Student Union • National picture

11. Systems & processes • Quality • Collaborative provision audit • University engagement • Robust debate • Transparent processes

12. University link at programme level • Academic Liaison Person [ALP] normally a university subject specialist • Work with FD programme teams / students on curriculum design and progression issues • Have specific colleges with which they work • Supported by and work with a Subject Forum Chair [SFC] who works at a strategic level across the region and with the cognate University faculty

13. Academic community • Subject Forums support the development of the academic staff involved in the delivery of FDs and through the HELP CETL their evolution into Communities of Practice • Special Interest Groups including Library, Staff Developers, WBL/EE, Blended Learning are now being supported in a similar way including the deployment of Knowledge Management tools

14. Research & Scholarly Activity • Supporting individuals and groups • Isolation from each other and the University • Confidence based on lack of experience • Feedback • Efforts are more hard won • Critical mass - SW and national • CoP • Journal

15. Students and Student Union • Student Experience focus of UPC / HELP CETL activity • Kassie Bath UoP / UPC SU liaison • New SU HE officers at larger colleges • UPC SU CoP • CETL capital investment involvement • Earn & learn

16. National picture • Other HE/HE consortia • HE Academy [HEA] Subject Centres • Foundation Degree Forward • Other national / international projects e.g. Enhancing Teaching-Learning Project [ETL] • Other CETLs - e.g. RLO • National policy - UPC is asked for input and its work is modelled elsewhere

17. Areas of distinctive UPC practice • Work Based Learning - WBL • Employer Engagement - EE • Flexible provision e.g. Bite Sized • Accrediting employer development e.g. Navy • APEL and co-funding [HEFCE & employer]

18. Work Based Learning • Work Based Learning at the centre of the course • Problems to begin with: • Where to start? • How to start? • Some solutions • Visiting Speakers • Existing contacts (start where you are)

19. Stage 1 Fd Students • Health & Safety interactive web questionnaire for the College • Working as a team • Working for a ‘real’ employer • Increase in confidence • Website development for the Amigos Christian charity • Deadlines • Experience of success in the real world

20. Stage 1 Fd Students (cont) • System support for the local Hospital • Experience of funding issues • System support for a local company (Leaderflush & Shapland) • Experience of working with IT Staff • Marine Biological Association • Two weeks in the summer • Learning new skills

21. Stage 1 Fd Students (cont) • Business Enterprise Module • Some students very enthusiastic • Three entrepreneurs • Web Company • Web Marketing Site (very profitable for student) • Computer Hardware Company • Other students less enthusiastic • Many saw it as a possibly for the future

22. Stage 2 Fd Students - GCHQ • GCHQ want to employ ‘Stage 2’ students from 3 Partner colleges • Five from the College have been employed and start in September • Stage 3 paid for by GCHQ • How do we organise Stage 3? • Application Process • Paper – Test – Interview

23. Effect on Courses • Explained at initial interview prior to the course • Motivation • Link between PDP & WBL - ‘employers want skills’ • Alleviates the fear of ‘what do I do when the course is finished’

24. FD WBL, Employability & Employer Engagement Fellowship projects • David Hotchkiss, PCAD & Richard Holt, SCAT, investigated good practice in supporting student progression into the creative industries from UPC Art and Design programmes • Craig Litster developed on-line learning resources to support WBL on North Devon College Fd Business programmes • Dr Bryan Mills from Cornwall College has developed blended learning aspect of a Fd in Small Business Development

25. FD WBL, Employability & Employer Engagement CPD Awards • CPD projects with a Work Based Learning theme include reflections on the role of mentoring; Lee Hurrell is evaluating good practice for use within the Early Years sector at North Devon College • Judith Mann is developing a guide for employers within the Fd in Health and Community Studies at Cornwall College 

26. Opportunities to do more with UPC • Collaborative research and scholarly activity • Co-mentoring • Shared approaches, resources and materials • Working with SFs & other CoPs • Knowledge transfer e.g. WBL, EE & Bite sized • Flying faculty, shared appointments, two way staff moves and stage three

27. Key Contacts • Mark Stone HELP CETL Director m2stone@plymouth.ac.uk • Martin Rowe FD Computing Programme Manager at North Devon College & HELP CETL Award Holder & WBL / EE CoP Leader mrowe@ndevon.ac.uk • Chris Smart HELP CETL Operations Manager cjsmart@plymouth.ac.uk • Colin Williams Dean of University of Plymouth Colleges c1williams@plymouth.ac.uk